


Shin (Sha Lin x Zhin) shorts

by SilverWriting



Series: Paladin shorts (fictional) [2]
Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm (Video Game)
Genre: Competition, Fluff, Kisses, M/M, You've been warned, dont worry nothing heavy in this, what am I doing with my life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-13 21:15:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11193576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverWriting/pseuds/SilverWriting
Summary: A bunch of short Zhin x Sha Lin stories, written all for my amazing friend <3 Please, don't read this if you don't ship it. Though it's an amazing ship...





	1. Unlikely teamwork

**Author's Note:**

> This is for a friend because why not write fanfic of a video game? Obviously that's a normal thing that I do. We ship Sha Lin and Zhin so if you don't agree kindly exit! This probably isn't for you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sha Lin isn't thrilled to be on the same team as his old friend-turned-enemy, but who knows. Maybe Zhin's so called "change in heart" to be a better person isn't all lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get a lot of my background and headcanons from: https://paladinsheadcanons.tumblr.com/  
> So check them out!

Sha Lin had to hold himself back from complaining out loud. Why did Zhin have to be on his team? Why did he have to be a paladin in the _first_ place?

He eyed the new flank in front of him, who stood silent and still. His sword was clenched in his hand as usual, and it made Sha Lin hold his bow just a little tighter. They were on the same team, but he wasn't sure if Zhin would really work as a team with him. To his other side, Cassie was chatting in a low but cheerful voice with her bird. Ash stared straight ahead, probably buying items based on her completely still form. Ying stood on top of the fallen stone pillar, smiling when she caught Sha Lin looking.

"Please, trust in yourself," appeared in chat, and Sha Lin tried his best to give Ying a confident smile.

He'd just ignore Zhin. That's what his ex-best friend seemed to be doing to him, anyway.

"5, 4, 3..." They all mounted their horses, and Sha Lin deliberately didn't look at Zhin who was right next to him. _Focus on the game. The wind has my back._

They were off. Immediately, Ash and Ying took to the point. Their matchups proved to be tough enemies. Sha Lin barely noticed Androxus on the flank route, but he definitely saw Zhin lift is sword, ready to fight the Godslayer. Willo started shooting seeds at Cassie, and Sha Lin quickly interfered to save her.

Skye was somewhere around the arena as well, but Sha Lin was too focused on the capture point. Makoa was destroying Ash with Seris behind him, healing him as soon as he got low. Ying was doing her best, but with the incoming fire from all sides, it was getting hard to stay alive. Sha Lin scanned around.

In the distance, he saw Skye on low health. Quickly taking aim, he knocked her out with an arrow just as Zhin came into his view. Zhin shot a furious glare at Sha Lin, who suddenly realized he had just stolen his kill. He couldn't help but smirk in response, with only slight pity. Egging Zhin on was probably a bad idea, considering the merciless swordsman, but Sha Lin was having a hard time feeling regret. Yet. (He had to admit it was an amazing bowshot)

Zhin disappeared again, and Sha Lin refocused on the center. Makoa was already below half health, since Seris had died to Cassie and Ying. Sha Lin fired arrow after arrow, yet before he could get in the final hit, a certain flank appeared in front of Makoa. It took less than a second for him to slice Makoa down, and Sha Lin's arrow flew into the distance with no target. He narrowed his eyes at Zhin.

"Stay on the flank, _tyrant_." He hissed.

Zhin heard him, twirling his blade skillfully. "Stay out of my flank kills, _Sha_ ," he retorted, backing up. Ying gave the two a nervous glance when she heard their banter.

Suddenly, Sha Lin heard the sound of a familiar wrist crossbow. Skye came up from behind, sending him to respawn in mere seconds. Sha Lin cursed under his breath.

The instant he was out, there were already three enemies on the point. He couldn't go straight to it- that was instant death. Cassie and Ying were dead, leaving Ash in the center and Zhin god knows where.

"Ready!" Sha Lin began to fire off arrows from the flank side, slowly draining the health of Makoa. Suddenly, his health plummeted. He gasped and quickly threw himself into stealth, forcing Willo to start shooting blindly now. Sha Lin turned to flee, then ran straight into Zhin. Quite literally.

"Watch it, Sha," Zhin growled, before noticing his health. A cruel smile crossed his face.

"What happened, _princess_?" At the nickname, Sha Lin almost attempted to shoot Zhin with one of his arrows. Unfortunately, he knew it wouldn't work.

"Just... Willo," Sha Lin muttered, knowing he should be ashamed for almost dying to a flower fairy. Oh, Zhin wouldn't let him live that down if he had.

"Tch. Stay here and heal." In an _almost_ protective way, Zhin threw Sha Lin behind him and lit his sword on fire. Sha Lin watched at Willo went down. Zhin was now almost as low as Sha Lin, but not quite.

"We should get Ying."

"She needs to focus on center," Sha Lin winced as he stood, though more of his health began to come back. "But... thank you for... helping me."

Zhin shrugged it off, but an amused smile crossed his lips, definitely less cruel than his normal. 

"Ha! You leave yourselves open," a gravely voice called before they could say anything. Zhin's eyes snapped up with rage.

"Androxus."

"Ready!" Sha Lin went down in planted, shooting Andro out of the sky before the godslayer could do anything.

Zhin turned to him, grudging respect on his face. "Nice," he said simply.

Still, Sha Lin grinned at his old friend. "You're welcome."

Zhin narrowed his eyes, then bowed mockingly. "Shall we go, princess?" He sword glinted ominously in the light.

Sha Lin drew out an arrow. "After you."

"Awe how cute!" Ying cooed, "you guys made up! I was going to come help you guys since Ash has it under control right now but you seem to have healed!"

"Oh, what _beautiful_ new romance!" Skye exclaimed in her normal suggestive tone. "I love it! Shin!"

The two males frowned at her, but she just gave a taunting laugh and threw down a smoke screen, dashing away after provoking them. Sha Lin turned to Zhin, but the tyrant was already chasing after the mischievous flank. Sha Lin couldn't help chuckling, following Ying back into battle.

Maybe having Zhin here wouldn't be too horrible.


	2. I hate me too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I hate you."
> 
> "I hate me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind this all in my head and just for fun- the only thing that's actually a thing in this is that Zhin calls Sha Lin "princess" sometimes when he kills him.

Sha Lin looked up at the scoreboard, scoffing when he saw that Zhin had just one more kill than him. He looked over at the Tyrant. "I hate you," he said playfully. 

Zhin nodded, a serious expression on his face. "I hate me too. It's only fair you would hate me after we kicked your family off the throne."

Sha Lin turned to him in shock. "Wait, Zhin, _what_? I was only kidding! I don't _hate_ you," he muttered. Sure, there had been a few moments when he had seethed in rage before he had became a paladin, and a few times when he found out Zhin was also turning into a paladin. That had been a bit jarring. Now, after recreating their friendship over the few weeks, he had once again become used to the vicious swordsman. He didn't know how they'd once again gotten so close. Perhaps it was just everything in the past and Zhin's change of heart, but Sha Lin appreciated it. Now, he was truly beginning to make peace with his past. 

"How could you not?" Zhin let out a harsh laugh. "I told you the next time I saw you I'd kill you! My father manipulated me into kicking your family off the throne."

Ying, Torvald, and Cassie were luckily the only other ones on the team. Seeing that things were getting serious between the two, Ying gestured to the other two to follow her to give the others space. 

Sha Lin slung his bow off his back and gently placed it along with his quiver on the ground gently, then sat down on the ground. Zhin followed suit, stabbing his sword into the ground. 

"But you're different now. Don't you and Androxus talk about being evil and all that? And how it isn't your fault? He's right you know. He would know better than me, but I believe he's right." Sha Lin sighed. 

Zhin's lips twisted up an a slightly amused smile. "Yes, Androxus and I talk about that. Why?" He secretly wondered if Sha Lin was jealous, but he wouldn't dare ask.

Sha Lin rested his head on Zhin's shoulder, in an obvious was to avoid Zhin's sharp gaze. "You have a good friendship." There was no disguising the bitterness in his tone. 

Zhin gave a low laugh and maneuvered Sha Lin so that he could face him and lean in, kissing his lips in an almost posessive way. Sha Lin felt his blush light up the way his bow did when he pulled back an arrow. Bright and sudden. "We have a better friendship, _princess_." 

Ever since Zhin had used that as a taunt when he'd first became a paladin, it had stuck. Now, however, it had a much different meaning. "I never thought I'd be called _princess_ as a nickname by someone," Sha Lin grumbled.

"Oh your pride can handle it," Zhin waved a hand. Sha rolled his eyes, but didn't comment. He still didn't trust Zhin fully, but Sha Lin wanted nearly desperately to believe his old friend was finally making the choice he wanted to. And hell, like Sha Lin was going to let him brag about his strength _unmatched_.


	3. Bot Player

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sha Lin's player get some disconnected, causing a bot to take his place. Zhin, however, doesn't realize this.

__Sha Lin hopped around the spawn room, lagging noticeably. Ying stared at him, worried. If he disconnected, they'd have to play with a bot version of him, and who knew how well that would go. The team they were up against looked tough already. Fernando merrily laughed at the entrance, and Androxus nether-stepped around the base. Zhin, Ying noticed, stayed by Sha Lin.

"5, 4, 3..." The champions hopped on their horses and were off. Zhin began to take the flank route, Sha Lin close behind him. The first enemy they encountered was Lex, who Zhin sent back to respawn with first blood. "C'mon Sha let's get the next one!" Zhin bellowed, all hyped up. He turned around to see if the Desert Wind was coming, only to see him go the completely other way.

"Don't retreat, coward!" Zhin reprimanded, but let him be, instead chasing down Cassie.

Ying narrowed her eyes as she watched Sha Lin appear behind her and go into planted in a vulnerable spot. He had to be a bot. Her healing wasn't enough to save him, being Fernando was also in the center and needed it too.

The next time Sha Lin respawned, Ying watched him run completely passed the point and over to where Zhin was in the back, killing whomever was there.

"Finish him off, Sha Lin!" Zhin yelled at Sha Lin, who was killing Pip. Zhin continued dueling Cassie, when suddenly "eliminated" flashed across his screen. He turned to see Sha Lin in planted and facing him, Pip behind him healing himself while attacking.

"Idiot!" Zhin seethed, rushing past Sha Lin to distract Pip. Sha Lin didn't respond nor show any sign he heard Zhin.

"Hey _princess_ ," Zhin snapped, now thoroughly annoyed at the archer, "you would do well to _listen to me._ "

Still, no reaction from the Desert Wind.

Ying stared nervously into the distance, hearing Zhin's angered yelling at the archer. She wanted to tell him, but Zhin scared her when he was angry like this.

"Entertaining, isn't it," an amused, gravelly voice said from behind her. Ying spun, shocked to see Androxus right behind her. She didn't even hear him!

"No!" She defended, "Zhin's clueless because he's new! I want to tell him but..."

Androxus let out a "Hah!", taking a few shots at Lex behind them. "Don't tell him. This is so much better."

Ying found her new determination. She should stop letting Zhin get laughed at.

"Ying! Need healing!" Fernando hollered, and Ying's focus snapped back to center. Well... she didn't _have_ to go tell Zhin. It could wait...

Zhin let out another frustrated huff as Sha Lin ran into a wall. What was _wrong_ with him today? "We won't win this if you don't increase your skill," Zhin snapped. Sha Lin again didn't respond. "Don't _ignore_ your superior," Zhin growled, finally done with him.

Sha Lin froze, then turned to him, confused. "Huh? What?"

Zhin gave a harsh laugh. "Now you listen to me. So that's how it is, _princess_."

"Zhin, what are you talking about?" Sha Lin sounded lost, but he took aim at the payload from afar and began raining arrows down on the enemy tank, stopping them from contesting.

Zhin felt a surge of confusion as they teleported into respawn, push successful on the screen. Why did Sha Lin seem suddenly more... himself?   
"You were playing horridly. Running into walls, missing easy kills."

"I don't remember," Sha Lin admitted. "But that's normal! Bots aren't the best." He ran around the spawn room cheerfully, leaving Zhin standing there, suddenly remembering what Viktor had once told him, though he was barely paying attention. " _Sometimes players get disconnected. They're replaced by bots, who are usually not as helpful. However the players sometimes return and regain control over the champion_."

Ying drifted over to Sha Lin. "Welcome back," she greeted, "I just thought you should know... uh... while you were a bot... Zhin didn't realize. He kept yelling at you and I wanted to say something but... I was busy," Ying said quickly.

Sha Lin burst out laughing. "He thought that was _normal_ me playing?"

Ying returned his amused smile. "Yes." A low chuckle came from Androxus, who was listening in on them from against the wall.

Sha Lin smirked, then turned and sauntered over to Zhin, who was leaning against a different wall, stone still. His eyes narrowed at the smirk on Sha Lin's face, and he snapped his sword up and pointed it under Sha Lin's chin. He couldn't hurt him, but the threat was clear.

" _Don't_ ," Zhin warned, "say anything about it."

Sha Lin's merry laughter rang through the room, drawing everyone's attention. Zhin growled at him. pushing off the wall and shoving the archer to the ground. Sha Lin looked up confidently at Zhin, who sighed at the stubborn look on his face. 

"This never happened," he told Sha Lin.


	4. Get a room.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This ones so short it's practically a summary.

Sha Lin cheered happily, jumping forward and wrestling Zhin to the ground. Normally, this wouldn't work. However, Zhin wasn't quite expecting it, so ended up in the ground.  
"Oh, you're going to get it," Zhin growled, tightening his grip on Sha Lin's arms in preparation to flip them.

Sha Lin knew what was coming. After all, they'd been best friends for several years. Though they'd changed in different ways, the way they wrestled with each other hadn't. Sha Lin turned himself into a squirming mess, making it difficult for Zhin to hold on. They ended up facing each other side by side, muscles bulging, trying to not let the other get on top.

With a grunt, Zhin tugged Sha Lin over him and back to the ground, stunning him. Pressing his advantage, Zhin straddled Sha Lin's torso, pinning his arms down with his own. The Tyrant smirked down at him. "Face defeat, _Desert Wind_. Surrender to me."

Sha Lin thrashed some more, but although he was strong, in this position his power was limited.

"...though I still beat the Godslayer, if you ask me." Tyra's voice was suddenly audible.

"Ha, I'm sure you did. That sounds about right he'd cheat." Ash's voice accompanied it. Sure enough, the two females popped up from around the corner, dressed in full battle gear. They must've just got back from a match.

Ash noticed them on the ground, turning a disdainful look to them. "Get a room, boys."

" _Excuse_ me?" Zhin turned his cold gaze on her, any trace of amusement gone.

"You heard the woman," Tyra smirked, "she suggested you two take that to the bedroom."

Sha Lin, still beneath Zhin, heated a furious red. Ash chuckled at them, shaking her head. "Boys will be boys."

Zhin stood up, offering a hand to Sha without looking back. If you didn't a see that the arm was attached to Zhin, you probably wouldn't have thought it was Zhin. Sha Lin wordlessly accepted, crossing his arms as he glared at the two girls, who stood directly next to each other, mere centimeters away (minus Ash's armor).

"Well," Zhin said a little smugly, "unfortunately I think you two need a room more than we do."

Ash narrowed her eyes, gripping her gun a little tighter. "What are you suggesting?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"What, can't take what you give out?" Sha Lin taunted.

"Trust me we can take more than you can, archer. Especially with that old-fashioned weapon of yours." Tyra retorted.

With a growl, Zhin lit his sword in fire. Ash readied her canon. Tyra raised her gun and Sha Lin reached back for an arrow.

"Guys, please!" A softer, more gentler voice exclaimed nervously. Ying popped in, her eyes wide with worry. "Don't fight!" She yelled, holding her hands out placatingly.

Torvald appeared behind her, stepping over with a determined look on his face.   
"ITS WORKING!!" He yelled, blasting the arguing couples far, far away from each other.

Ying gave a pleased smile. "That was more effective than I thought. Inara?"

The Earthly woman stepped forward, raising a wall in the center. "They shall not pass. Well they can, but... Oh Ying, you might want to get them farther away from each other. Walls don't work _that_ well."

Ying nodded, floating over to Zhin and Sha Lin, who were dusting themselves off. "Maybe we should go somewhere else."

"As long as it's not a room," Zhin muttered.


	5. Hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens on a hot night?

Sha Lin rolled over on the cold floor, clutching his pillow. "It's so hot," he moaned for what had to be the 50th time that night.

"Shut it," Zhin grumbled from where he was facing away from his friend. "You're not the one wearing layers of clothes."

"Then take them-" Sha Lin abruptly cut himself off, realizing what he was about to say. "I'm still hot," he grumbled.

Zhin ignored him, sighing deeply. They were sleeping on a hot summer night up in a room-ish area in Serpents Beach, and Sha Lin and Zhin were having the worst time sleeping.

Sha Lin rolled over again. His clothes weren't even as heavy as some of the other paladins, yet for some reason the night air was seriously beating down on him. "Why is it so _hot_?" He asked, staring up at the stones above him.

"Kind of ironic considering you're the _Desert Wind_ ," Zhin snapped snidely.

"Ouch," Sha Lin said without much enthusiasm, "Can't a man be be hot once in awhile? Well actually, I'm hot _all_ the time."

Zhin sighed, "If you say, _princess_."

Sha Lin's confident attitude dissipated at that, instantly turning defensive. "Not a princess."

"You're my princess," Zhin said without thinking. Sha Lin felt his cheeks heat up from more than the air, but he couldn't help smiling. Zhin really _was_ tired if he was saying something like that.

"Did you actually just say that?" Teased Sha Lin.

"Go to sleep."

Sha Lin laughed softly, but didn't provoke him more. For a blissful 5 minutes for Zhin, it was quiet.

"The heat-" Sha Lin began, but Zhin instantly cut him off, flipping around and straddling Sha Lin, pining him in place to the stone floor.

"Don't," Zhin began in a low voice, "mention the heat _again_. For the next 8 hours."

Sha Lin looked up at him, his breath catching as he stared into Zhin's blazing eyes. He was dishonoring his family for catching feelings for the son of the people who kicked them off the throne. But... on that subject, Sha Lin's parents had always been respectful of his wishes. They'd wished him luck on becoming a paladin, warning him they would probably never see him again. With this, Sha Lin was fairly certain that they'd just caution him but respect his decision.

"But it's h-" Zhin slapped a strong hand over Sha Lin's mouth, blocking what he was about to say.

"Say hot one more time," Zhin warned dangerously, "And I'll give you a _better_ reason to feel hot."

Sha Lin felt his heart jump and his blush come back instantly. He couldn't say anything with the hand covering his mouth, but he reached up with his one free hand and tapped Zhin's lips. Getting the message, Zhin removed his hand.

"What reason did you have in mind?" Sha Lin's voice was quieter than normal, and his emerald eyes glittered challengingly in the torch light.

Without further prompting, Zhin bent forward and pressed his lips to Sha Lin's, kissing him harshly. Their lips molded together easily, with memory from the past.

By the time Zhin pulled away, Sha Lin was out of breath. He looked up at the man on top of him, panting softly. "I think I understand."

"Good." Zhin got off of him in one fluid movement, laying back down on the stone floor. "Now sleep. Without complaining about the heat."

Sha Lin merely smiled. "As you say, _my lord_."


	6. IKEA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I found a few prompts on tumblr from parfaitinggg so this is a modern AU where the two of them are shopping at IKEA... and Sha Lin won't stop messing around.

Sha Lin got out of the car, shutting the door behind him. His walk was easy as he headed towards the entrance of IKEA, Zhin close behind him. The older male was noticeably _less_ eager to go shopping then the Desert Wind.

"But we need things for our new apartment!" Sha Lin had protested, "all the other paladins have already decorated theirs!"

"I still think all we need are beds and kitchen supplies," Zhin grumbled. Sha Lin overheard, and he walked backwards to talk to his boyfriend.

"Which we don't have. That's why we're here!"

"Face forward when you walk," Zhin snapped.

Sha Lin scoffed, but obeyed. "Ok, _dad._ "

" _My_ _lord_ would be better," Zhin retorted cleverly.

The archer refused to respond to that. The two headed up the escalator, Sha Lin finding entertainment in the _walking stairs_ , and Zhin wondering why they didn't have these in his kingdom.

Zhin felt a sour mood fill him as they entered the bedding department. Their shopping journey commences. What did they need again? Right: sheets, pillows, pillow cases, blankets... God, now Zhin was glad he agreed to share a bed with Sha. Less things to buy.

"Hey Zhin."

Zhin, turned, an unenthusiastic "what is it" on his lips, but the words left him when he saw the archer.

Sha Lin was laying shirtless in a bed, his green eyes filled with amusement. The archer had his head propped up with a strong arm and was laying on his side, stretching out on the length of the bed. His lips turned up in a smirk. "Why don't you join me?" He purred.

 

 

The Tyrant controlled his breathing, snatching Sha Lin's shirt off the floor and throwing it at his face. "If you don't put on your shirt, I will legitimately leave you here to be arrested. You can have fun with Lex." Zhin began to stride away.

Sha Lin scrambled to follow, pulling on his shirt and ignoring the looks from the two other shoppers. ( _The hell is he doing? Is that legal?_ One of them whispers to their friend.)  
"The normal clothing we now have to wear is so uncomfortable," Sha Lin grumbled, pushing the cart that now contained bedding. "I miss my old outfit."

Zhin agreed, but opted to stay silent. The next section they entered had a bunch of mini rooms, causing Sha Lin to instantly stop pushing the cart and bound over to them excitedly. Zhin took over, slowly pushing the cart along, scanning to see if there was anything they needed.

Not really, but he had to convince Sha Lin of that.

Zhin found him with an open book, a confused look on his face. "Why are all the books in a different language? I don't even know what language this is."

"Because they aren't written for idiots like you."

"Can _you_ read them?" Sha Lin challenged.

The Tyrant looked over his shoulder. "French. This looks like it's about some hero's journey." Zhin seemed uninterested, but Sha Lin gaped at him.

"How'd you know?"

Zhin sighed. "I actually _studied_ the world language lessons and passed the classes unlike _some_ irresponsible ex-prince I know."

Sha Lin glared, but then stood straight and puffed out his chest, despite the harsh words. "That insult means nothing; words will never hurt me!"

Zhin snatched the book and threw it at him, causing Sha Lin to let out an "Ow! Stop throwing things at me!"

"See, words _can_ hurt you. Don't lie. Come on, I want to leave."

Sha Lin rolled his eyes at Zhin's clever play, but put the book back and followed him, leaning on the cart. They managed to get through a decent amount of the store without Sha Lin getting distracted, until they got to the chairs and desk section.

"I bet you I could flip over this chair," Sha Lin rolled a chair into the middle of an aisle. Luckily, there was no one around.

"Stop messing around and let's go."

The Desert Wind flashed him a bright smile, shaking his head slightly. "We have plenty of time! It's not like we have anything to do!"

Zhin sighed again, then hid his smirk as he stared at the desks to the other side of him. An idea had come to him. He gazed patiently, until alas he was rewarded with Sha Lin walking over to him.

"Hey, why are you staring so intensely at this row of desks?" Sha Lin questioned.

Zhin smirked, turning to face Sha Lin and dropping his voice. "I was looking at _all_ the desks, wondering which one you'd look _best_ pinned helpless against-"

He was cut off as Sha Lin kicked him _hard_ in the shin. The archer turned away, a furious blush lighting his tan cheeks. "I'm ready to go now."

Zhin's smile was triumphant.

* * *

 

[this lovely prompt](https://parfaitinggg.tumblr.com/post/158559551566/ikea-shenanigans) [and this one too](http://the-au-where.tumblr.com/post/135085468759/enemy-otps)


End file.
